Wednesday, 5 November 2008

As with any year during Q4, there’s too much to buy. Bloodbath The Fathomless Mastery, Virus The Black Flux, Cynic Traced In Air, Atrox Bionuclear No Coil For Tesla, Portishead Third, Squarpusher Just A Souvenir, and Opeth The Roundhouse Tapes (DVD) are the only items I can think of which I’ve either reserved via pre-order or haven’t bought yet. This isn’t to mention the amount of DVD’s, books, and games to buy. Like many, I’m finding it all too much on the wallet, as well as too much facing time management and priorities. Hopefully throughout that list, I’ll be able to write about some of those releases, (at least within the usual genre) but firstly clearing up thoughts about one of last years albums may make the slate cleaner.

As the titles reads, I’ll get on with it. This was one of my favourites last year, and I believe it is Townsends best record. Although I disagree with most of what Townsend discusses on his forums (partially related to himself constantly addressing younger teenagers. A better example may be the thread last year titled something like “Dev Should Write A Christmas Song” which now this year, hopefully will be titled “Dev Shouldn’t Write A Christmas Song”, showed and laid arrogance on his part, due to his comments after the lyrics were published and the content of the publication. Whatever your reaction, the spotlight is his excuse) his music ‘speaks’ much louder. Ziltoid was loosely an album based on his concept derived from the age of eight allegedly. And although boasting a silly, ‘comedic’ value to the overall creation of the album, the final exorcism is never really received in such a way. This is because the album hosts such memorable characteristics, and boasts incredibley beautiful sparks of many musical ideas, that comedy is difficult to find within. Ziltoid may be partially humorous, but it’s what lies beneath its' veneer which makes it so extraordinary. The thought process into its pacing is quite excellent, as your smiling or on hindsight laughing at its brilliance, but then absolutely absorbed within its rapture of ideas, it makes for a truly fitting entertaining experience. The most important aspect of this album is its mix. It is the atmosphere which also keeps this concept alive. The slight reverberant spaced elements placed onto the audio bus, all work to create Ziltoid The Omniscient, without it, the record wouldn’t have been so memorable (not to mention the clever take on the arpeggio).